AMORTIZATION TEMPLATES

“The law states that any "reasonably segregable" portions of  an otherwise exempt record will be provided to a [Freedom Of Information Act (“FOIA”)] requester after redaction of  parts which are not to be disclosed. The review process may include redacting (blacking out) material which is exempt. However, where non-exempt material is so ‘inextricably intertwined’ that disclosure of it would leave only meaningless words and phrases, or where the editing required for partial disclosure would be so extensive as to effectively result in the creation of new records, the entire record may be withheld. Consult General Counsel if  contemplating a response which asserts materials are nonsegregable.” --NOAA, “Redacting Documents”

Last summer, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) submitted a FOIA request in order to obtain more information on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court’s activities—pursuant to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA)—which they claimed were “unreasonable” under the Fourth Amendment. The DOJ’s response: “The government has determined that disclosure of the information withheld from Plaintiff could result in exceptionally grave and serious damage to the national security. Plaintiff obviously cannot contend otherwise. The Court accordingly should defer to the government’s determination in this case, uphold the Department’s withholdings, and grant this motion.”

 The Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a Freedom of  Information Act request with the Department of Homeland Security on the government's deployment of body scanner technology on streets and in roving vans. They disclosed this “partially released” document.

New Jersey Public Radio’s and WNYC conducted a monthslong investigation into New Jersey Transit’s preparedness to Hurricane Sandy. Results:

Approximately half of the companies supported by Obama’s “green energy” initiatives went bankrupt. The following censored information might have revealed the problematic relationship between the green lobby and the federal government.

“The Department of Defense has been granted exemption from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In December 2005, Congress passed the 2006 Defense Authorization Act which renders Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) ‘operational files’ fully immune to FOIA requests, the main mechanism by which watchdog groups, journalists and individuals can access federal documents. Of particular concern to critics of  the Defense Authorization Act is the DIA’s new right to thwart access to files that may reveal human rights violations tied to ongoing ‘counterterrorism’ efforts.” --Michelle Chen, “Pentagon Seeks Greater Immunity from Freedom of  Information”